Crystal Dynamics in Multi‐stimuli‐Responsive Entangled Metal–Organic Frameworks

An understanding of solid‐state crystal dynamics or flexibility in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) showing multiple structural changes is highly demanding for the design of materials with potential applications in sensing and recognition. However, entangled MOFs showing such flexible behavior pose a great challenge in terms of extracting information on their dynamics because of their poor single‐crystallinity. In this article, detailed experimental studies on a twofold entangled MOF ( f‐MOF‐1) are reported, which unveil its structural response toward external stimuli such as temperature, pressure, and guest molecules. The crystallographic study shows multiple structural changes in f‐MOF‐1 , by which the 3 D net deforms and slides upon guest removal. Two distinct desolvated phases, that is, f‐MOF‐1 a and f‐MOF‐1 b , could be isolated; the former is a metastable one and transformable to the latter phase upon heating. The two phases show different gated CO₂ adsorption profiles. DFT‐based calculations provide an insight into the selective and gated adsorption behavior with CO₂ of f‐MOF‐1 b . The gate‐opening threshold pressure of CO₂ adsorption can be tuned strategically by changing the chemical functionality of the linker from ethanylene (?CH₂?CH₂?) in f‐MOF‐1 to an azo (?N=N?) functionality in an analogous MOF, f‐MOF‐2 . The modulation of functionality has an indirect influence on the gate‐opening pressure owing to the difference in inter‐net interaction. The framework of f‐MOF‐1 is highly responsive toward CO₂ gas molecules, and these results are supported by DFT calculations.     

Increasing the CO2/N2 Selectivity with a Higher Surface Density of Pyridinic Lewis Basic Sites in Porous Carbon Derived from a Pyridyl‐Ligand‐Based Metal–Organic Framework

The development of functional porous carbon with high CO₂/N₂ selectivity is of great importance for CO₂ capture. In this paper, a type of porous carbon with doped pyridinic sites (termed MOFC) was prepared from the carbonization of a pyridyl‐ligand based MOF. Four MOFCs derived from different carbonizing temperatures were prepared. Structural studies revealed high contents of pyridinic‐N groups and nearly the same pore‐size distributions for these MOFCs. Gas‐sorption studies revealed outstanding CO₂ uptake at low pressures and room temperature. Owing to the high content of pyridinic‐N groups, the CO₂/N₂ selectivity on these MOFCs exhibits values of about 40–50, which are among the top values in carbon materials. Further correlation studies demonstrated that the CO₂/N₂ selectivities show a positive linear relationship with the surface density of pyridinic‐N groups, thus validating the synergistic effect of the doped pyridinic‐N groups on CO₂ adsorption selectivity.     

Water‐stable Adenine‐based MOFs with Polar Pores for Selective CO2 Capture

Here, we report two novel water‐stable amine‐functionalized MOFs, namely IISERP‐MOF26 ([NH₂(CH₃)₂][Cu₂O(Ad)(BDC)]?(H₂O)₂(DMA), 1 ) and IISERP‐MOF27 ([NH₂(CH₃)₂]_1/2[Zn₄O(Ad)₃(BDC)₂]?(H₂O)₂(DMF)_1/2, 2 ), which show selective CO₂ capture capabilities. They are made by combining inexpensive and readily available terephthalic acid and N‐rich adenine with Cu and Zn, respectively. They possess 1D channels decorated by the free amine group from the adenine and the polarizing oxygen atoms from the terephthalate units. Even more, there are dimethyl ammonium (DMA⁺) cations in the pore rendering an electrostatic environment within the channels. The activated Cu‐ and Zn‐MOFs physisorb about 2.7 and 2.2 mmol g^?1 of CO₂, respectively, with high CO₂/N₂ and moderate CO₂/CH₄ selectivity. The calculated heat of adsorption (HOA=21–23 kJ mol^?1) for the CO₂ in both MOFs suggest optimal physical interactions which corroborate well with their facile on‐off cycling of CO₂. Notably, both MOFs retain their crystallinity and porosity even after soaking in water for 24 hours as well as upon exposure to steam over 24 hours. The exceptional thermal and chemical stability, favorable CO₂ uptakes and selectivity and low HOA make these MOFs promising sorbents for selective CO₂ capture applications. However, the MOF′s low heat of adsorption despite having a highly CO₂‐loving groups lined walls is quite intriguing.     

A Cationic MOF with High Uptake and Selectivity for CO2 due to Multiple CO2‐Philic Sites

The reaction of N‐rich pyrazinyl triazolyl carboxyl ligand 3‐(4‐carboxylbenzene)‐5‐(2‐pyrazinyl)‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazole (H₂cbptz) with MnCl₂ afforded 3D cationic metal–organic framework (MOF) [Mn₂(Hcbptz)₂(Cl)(H₂O)]Cl ? DMF ? 0.5 CH₃CN ( 1 ), which has an unusual (3,4)‐connected 3,4T1 topology and 1D channels composed of cavities. MOF 1 has a very polar framework that contains exposed metal sites, uncoordinated N atoms, narrow channels, and Cl^? basic sites, which lead to not only high CO₂ uptake, but also remarkably selective adsorption of CO₂ over N₂ and CH₄ at 298–333 K. The multiple CO₂‐philic sites were identified by grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. Moreover, 1 shows excellent stability in natural air environment. These advantages make 1 a very promising candidate in post‐combustion CO₂ capture, natural‐gas upgrading, and landfill gas‐purification processes.     

In situ Synchrotron IR Microspectroscopy of CO2 Adsorption on Single Crystals of the Functionalized MOF Sc2(BDC‐NH2)3

Synchrotron radiation (SR) IR microspectroscopy has enabled determination of the thermodynamics, kinetics, and molecular orientation of CO₂ adsorbed in single microcrystals of a functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) under conditions relevant to carbon capture from flue gases. Single crystals of the small‐pore MOF, Sc₂(BDC‐NH₂)₃, (BDC‐NH₂=2‐amino‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate), with well‐defined crystal form have been investigated during CO₂ uptake at partial pressures of 0.025‐0.2 bar at 298–373 K. The enthalpy and diffusivity of adsorption determined from individual single crystals are consistent with values obtained from measurements on bulk samples. The brilliant SR IR source permits rapid collection of polarized spectra. Strong variations in absorbance of the symmetric stretch of the NH₂ groups of the MOF and the asymmetric stretch of the adsorbed CO₂ at different orientations of the crystals relative to the polarized IR light show that CO₂ molecules align along channels in the MOF.     

Synthesis of High‐Surface‐Area Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon Microflowers and Their Efficient Carbon Dioxide Capture Performance

Sustainable carbon materials have received particular attention in CO₂ capture and storage owing to their abundant pore structures and controllable pore parameters. Here, we report high‐surface‐area hierarchically porous N‐doped carbon microflowers, which were assembled from porous nanosheets by a three‐step route: soft‐template‐assisted self‐assembly, thermal decomposition, and KOH activation. The hydrazine hydrate used in our experiment serves as not only a nitrogen source, but also a structure‐directing agent. The activation process was carried out under low (KOH/carbon=2), mild (KOH/carbon=4) and severe (KOH/carbon=6) activation conditions. The mild activated N‐doped carbon microflowers (A‐NCF‐4) have a hierarchically porous structure, high specific surface area (2309 m² g^?1), desirable micropore size below 1 nm, and importantly large micropore volume (0.95 cm³ g^?1). The remarkably high CO₂ adsorption capacities of 6.52 and 19.32 mmol g^?1 were achieved with this sample at 0 °C (273 K) and two pressures, 1 bar and 20 bar, respectively. Furthermore, this sample also exhibits excellent stability during cyclic operations and good separation selectivity for CO₂ over N₂.     

Highly Efficient Porous Carbon Electrocatalyst with Controllable N‐Species Content for Selective CO2 Reduction

We report a straightforward strategy to design efficient N doped porous carbon (NPC) electrocatalyst that has a high concentration of easily accessible active sites for the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). The NPC with large amounts of active N (pyridinic and graphitic N) and highly porous structure is prepared by using an oxygen‐rich metal–organic framework (Zn‐MOF‐74) precursor. The amount of active N species can be tuned by optimizing the calcination temperature and time. Owing to the large pore sizes, the active sites are well exposed to electrolyte for CO₂RR. The NPC exhibits superior CO₂RR activity with a small onset potential of ?0.35 V and a high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 98.4 % towards CO at ?0.55 V vs. RHE, one of the highest values among NPC‐based CO₂RR electrocatalysts. This work advances an effective and facile way towards highly active and cost‐effective alternatives to noble‐metal CO₂RR electrocatalysts for practical applications.     

Hierarchical Mesoporous Metal–Organic Frameworks for Enhanced CO2 Capture

Hierarchical porous materials are promising for catalyst, separation and sorption applications. A ligand‐assisted etching process is developed for template‐free synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous MOFs as single crystals and well‐intergrown membranes at 40 °C. At 223 K, the hierarchical porous structures significantly improve the CO₂ capture capacity of HKUST‐1 by more than 44 % at pressures up to 20 kPa and 13 % at 100 kPa. Even at 323 K, the enhancement of CO₂ uptake is above 25 % at pressures up to 20 kPa and 7 % at 100 kPa. The mesoporous structures not only enhance the CO₂ uptake capacity but also improve the diffusion and mass transportation of CO₂. Similarly, well‐intergrown mesoporous HKUST‐1 membranes are synthesized, which hold the potential for film‐like porous devices. Mesoporous MOF‐5 crystals are also obtained by a similar ligand‐assisted etching process. This may provide a facile way to prepare hierarchical porous MOF single crystals and membranes for wide‐ranging applications.     

Amine-functionalized low-cost industrial grade multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the capture of carbon dioxide

Industrial grade multi-walled carbon nanotubes (IG-MWCNTs) are a low-cost substitute for commercially purified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (P-MWCNTs). In this work, IG-MWCNTs were functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) for CO₂ capture. The TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs were characterized with various experimental methods including N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Both the adsorption isotherms of IG-MWCNTs-n and the isosteric heats of different adsorption capacities were obtained from experiments. TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs were also shown to have high CO₂ adsorption capacity comparable to that of TEPA impregnated P-MWCNTs. The adsorption capacity of IG-MWCNTs based adsorbents was in the range of 2.145 to 3.088 mmol/g, depending on adsorption temperatures. Having the advantages of low-cost and high adsorption capacity, TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs seem to be a promising adsorbent for CO₂ capture from flue gas.     

Enhanced CO2 Adsorption Affinity in a NbO‐type MOF Constructed from a Low‐Cost Diisophthalate Ligand with a Piperazine‐Ring Bridge

A metal–organic framework (NPC‐6) with an NbO topology based on a piperazine ring‐bridged diisophthalate ligand was synthesized and characterized. The incorporated piperazine group leads to an enhanced adsorption affinity for CO₂ in NPC‐6, in which the CO₂ uptake is 4.83 mmol g^?1 at 293 K and 1 bar, ranking among the top values of CO₂ uptake on MOF materials. At 0.15 bar and 293 K, the NPC‐6 adsorbs 1.07 mmol g^?1 of CO₂, which is about 55.1 % higher than that of the analogue MOF NOTT‐101 under the same conditions. The enhanced CO₂ uptake combined with comparable uptakes for CH₄ and N₂ leads to much higher selectivities for CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ gas mixtures on NPC‐6 than on NOTT‐101. Furthermore, an N‐alkylation is used in the synthesis of the PDIA ligand, leading to a much lower cost compared with that in the synthesis of ligands in the NOTT series, as the former does not require a palladium‐based catalyst and borate esters. Thus, we conclude that NPC‐6 is a promising candidate for CO₂ capture applications.     

Multiscale Computational Study on the Adsorption and Separation of CO2/CH4 and CO2/H2 on Li+‐Doped Mixed‐Ligand Metal–Organic Framework Zn2(NDC)2(diPyNI)

The quantum mechanics (QM) method and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations are used to study the effect of lithium cation doping on the adsorption and separation of CO₂, CH₄, and H₂ on a twofold interwoven metal–organic framework (MOF), Zn₂(NDC)₂(diPyNI) (NDC=2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylate; diPyNI=N,N′‐di‐(4‐pyridyl)‐1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxydiimide). Second‐order Moller–Plesset (MP2) calculations on the (Li⁺–diPyNI) cluster model show that the energetically most favorable lithium binding site is above the pyridine ring side at a distance of 1.817 Å from the oxygen atom. The results reveal that the adsorption capacity of Zn₂(NDC)₂(diPyNI) for carbon dioxide is higher than those of hydrogen and methane at room temperature. Furthermore, GCMC simulations on the structures obtained from QM calculations predict that the Li⁺‐doped MOF has higher adsorption capacities than the nondoped MOF, especially at low pressures. In addition, the probability density distribution plots reveal that CO₂, CH₄, and H₂ molecules accumulate close to the Li cation site. The selectivity results indicate that CO₂/H₂ selectivity values in Zn₂(NDC)₂(diPyNI) are higher than those of CO₂/CH₄. The selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄ on Li⁺‐doped Zn₂(NDC)₂(diPyNI) is improved relative to the nondoped MOF.     

Gated Channels and Selectivity Tuning of CO2 over N2 Sorption by Post‐Synthetic Modification of a UiO‐66‐Type Metal–Organic Framework

The highly porous and stable metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO‐66 was altered using post‐synthetic modifications (PSMs). Prefunctionalization allowed the introduction of carbon double bonds into the framework through a four‐step synthesis from 2‐bromo‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylic acid; the organic linker 2‐allyl‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylic acid was obtained. The corresponding functionalized MOF (UiO‐66‐allyl) served as a platform for further PSMs. From UiO‐66‐allyl, epoxy, dibromide, thioether, diamine, and amino alcohol functionalities were synthesized. The abilities of these compounds to adsorb CO₂ and N₂ were compared, which revealed the structure–selectivity correlations. All synthesized MOFs showed profound thermal stability together with an increased ability for selective CO₂ uptake and molecular gate functionalities at low temperatures.     

High-performance CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture on amine-functionalized hierarchically porous silica nanoparticles prepared by a simple template-free method

The adsorption of CO₂ on polyethyleneimine (PEI)-functionalized hierarchically porous silica nanoparticles (PSNs), prepared by using rice husk as a silica source via a simple template-free method, was reported in this study. Compared with traditional alkaline fusion and surfactant-templating methods for preparing waste-derived porous silica materials as CO₂ adsorbents, this method holds specific important advantages in being an inexpensive, and energy-saving process with faster production rate. The results revealed that the (NH₄)₂SiF₆ salt formed during the synthetic process served as an effective porogen, which can be readily removed by washing with water. Additionally, the total pore volumes of PSNs materials were strongly correlated to the amount of (NH₄)₂SiF₆. When evaluated as a support of PEI for CO₂ adsorption, 55PEI/PSNs(12/14) could reach 159 mg/g at 75 °C under 15 % CO₂, which was remarkably superior to those using waste silicate precursors reported in the previous literature. It was demonstrated that both PEI loading, and total pore volume of the PEI/silica composite sorbents, played key roles on CO₂ adsorption. Besides, 55PEI/PSNs(12/14) also showed high stability during 20 cycles of adsorption–desorption operation, implying its high potential in post-combustion CO₂ capture.     

Co‐Catalyst‐Free Chemical Fixation of CO2 into Cyclic Carbonates by using Metal‐Organic Frameworks as Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is increasing at an alarming rate resulting in undesirable environmental issues. To mitigate this growing concentration of CO₂, selective carbon capture and storage/sequestration (CCS) are being investigated intensively. However, CCS technology is considered as an expensive and energy‐intensive process. In this context, selective carbon capture and utilization (CCU) as a C1 feedstock to synthesize value‐added chemicals and fuels is a promising step towards lowering the concentration of the atmospheric CO₂ and for the production of high‐value chemicals. Towards this direction, several strategies have been developed to convert CO₂, a Greenhouse gas (GHG) into useful chemicals by forming C?N, C?O, C?C, and C?H bonds. Among the various CO₂ functionalization processes known, the cycloaddition of CO₂ to epoxides has gained considerable interest owing to its 100% atom‐economic nature producing cyclic carbonates or polycarbonates in high yield and selectivity. Among the various classes of catalysts studied for cycloaddition of CO₂ to cyclic carbonates, porous metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained a special interest due to their modular nature facilitating the introduction of a high density of Lewis acidic (LA) and CO₂‐philic Lewis basic (LB) functionalities. However, most of the MOF‐based catalysts reported for cycloaddition of CO₂ to respective cyclic carbonates in high yields require additional co‐catalyst, say tetra‐n‐butylammonium bromide (TBAB). On the contrary, the co‐catalyst‐free conversion of CO₂ using rationally designed MOFs composed of both LA and LB sites is relatively less studied. In this review, we provide a comprehensive account of the research progress in the design of MOF based catalysts for environment‐friendly, co‐catalyst‐free fixation of CO₂ into cyclic carbonates.     

Studies on Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction over NH2‐Uio‐66(Zr) and Its Derivatives: Towards a Better Understanding of Photocatalysis on Metal–Organic Frameworks

Metal–organic framework (MOF) NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) exhibits photocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction in the presence of triethanolamine as sacrificial agent under visible‐light irradiation. Photoinduced electron transfer from the excited 2‐aminoterephthalate (ATA) to Zr oxo clusters in NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) was for the first time revealed by photoluminescence studies. Generation of Zr^III and its involvement in photocatalytic CO₂ reduction was confirmed by ESR analysis. Moreover, NH₂‐Uio‐66(Zr) with mixed ATA and 2,5‐diaminoterephthalate (DTA) ligands was prepared and shown to exhibit higher performance for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction due to its enhanced light adsorption and increased adsorption of CO₂. This study provides a better understanding of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction over MOF‐based photocatalysts and also demonstrates the great potential of using MOFs as highly stable, molecularly tunable, and recyclable photocatalysts in CO₂ reduction.     

Boron‐Functionalized Graphene Oxide‐Organic Frameworks for Highly Efficient CO2 Capture

The capture and storage of CO₂ have been suggested as an effective strategy to reduce the global emissions of greenhouse gases. Hence, in recent years, many studies have been carried out to develop highly efficient materials for capturing CO₂. Until today, different types of porous materials, such as zeolites, porous carbons, N/B‐doped porous carbons or metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), have been studied for CO₂ capture. Herein, the CO₂ capture performance of new hybrid materials, graphene‐organic frameworks (GOFs) is described. The GOFs were synthesized under mild conditions through a solvothermal process using graphene oxide (GO) as a starting material and benzene 1,4‐diboronic acid as an organic linker. Interestingly, the obtained GOF shows a high surface area (506 m² g⁻¹) which is around 11 times higher than that of GO (46 m² g⁻¹), indicating that the organic modification on the GO surface is an effective way of preparing a porous structure using GO. Our synthetic approach is quite simple, facile, and fast, compared with many other approaches reported previously. The synthesized GOF exhibits a very large CO₂ capacity of 4.95 mmol g⁻¹ at 298 K (1 bar), which is higher those of other porous materials or carbon‐based materials, along with an excellent CO₂/N₂ selectivity of 48.8.     

Amine functionalised metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as adsorbents for carbon dioxide

Three different porous metal organic framework (MOF) materials have been prepared with and without uncoordinated amine functionalities inside the pores. The materials have been characterized and tested as adsorbents for carbon dioxide. At 298 K the materials adsorb significant amount of carbon dioxide, the amine functionalised adsorbents having the highest CO₂ adsorption capacities, the best adsorbing around 14 wt% CO₂ at 1.0 atm CO₂ pressure. At 25 atm CO₂ pressure, up to 60 wt% CO₂ can be adsorbed. At high pressures the CO₂ uptake is mostly dependent on the available surface area and pore volume of the material in question. For one of the iso-structural MOF pairs the introduction of amine functionality increases the differential adsorption enthalpy (from isosteric method) from 30 to around 50 kJ/mole at low CO₂ pressures, while the adsorption enthalpies reach the same level at increase pressures. The high pressure experimental results indicate that MOF based solid adsorbents can have a potential for use in pressure swing adsorption of carbon dioxide at elevated pressures.     

Advances of Metal‐Organic Frameworks in Energy and Environmental Applications

Nowadays, energy shortage and environmental pollution issues are increasingly severe and urgent to be solved. The effective storage and use of environmentally friendly fuels and removal of harmful gases from the environment are great challenges and of great importance both for the environment protection and for human health. Porous metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly ordered crystalline materials formed by the self‐assembly process of metal ions and organic ligands. Their good features such as ultrahigh porosity, large surface area, structural diversity and functionalities make them promising candidates for applications in energy and environmental fields. MOF thin films and MOF composites have also been investigated to further enhance the properties and introduce new functionalities. This review provides an overview of the synthesis methods of pristine MOFs, MOF thin films and MOF composites, and significant advances of MOFs in energy and environment applications such as energy storage (H₂, CH₄), CO₂ capture and separation, adsorption removal and sensing of harmful gases in the environment.     

Developing Eco-Friendly and Cost-Effective Porous Adsorbent for Carbon Dioxide Capture

To address the issue of global warming and climate change issues, recent research efforts have highlighted opportunities for capturing and electrochemically converting carbon dioxide (CO₂). Despite metal doped polymers receiving widespread attention in this respect, the structures hitherto reported lack in ease of synthesis with scale up feasibility. In this study, a series of mesoporous metal-doped polymers (MRFs) with tunable metal functionality and hierarchical porosity were successfully synthesized using a one-step copolymerization of resorcinol and formaldehyde with Polyethyleneimine (PEI) under solvothermal conditions. The effect of PEI and metal doping concentrations were observed on physical properties and adsorption results. The results confirmed the role of PEI on the mesoporosity of the polymer networks and high surface area in addition to enhanced CO₂ capture capacity. The resulting Cobalt doped material shows excellent thermal stability and promising CO₂ capture performance, with equilibrium adsorption of 2.3 mmol CO₂/g at 0 °C and 1 bar for at a surface area 675.62 m²/g. This mesoporous polymer, with its ease of synthesis is a promising candidate for promising for CO₂ capture and possible subsequent electrochemical conversion.     

Efficient Visible‐Light‐Driven Carbon Dioxide Reduction by a Single‐Atom Implanted Metal–Organic Framework

Modular optimization of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) was realized by incorporation of coordinatively unsaturated single atoms in a MOF matrix. The newly developed MOF can selectively capture and photoreduce CO₂ with high efficiency under visible‐light irradiation. Mechanistic investigation reveals that the presence of single Co atoms in the MOF can greatly boost the electron–hole separation efficiency in porphyrin units. Directional migration of photogenerated excitons from porphyrin to catalytic Co centers was witnessed, thereby achieving supply of long‐lived electrons for the reduction of CO₂ molecules adsorbed on Co centers. As a direct result, porphyrin MOF comprising atomically dispersed catalytic centers exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic conversion of CO₂, which is equivalent to a 3.13‐fold improvement in CO evolution rate (200.6 μmol g^?1 h^?1) and a 5.93‐fold enhancement in CH₄ generation rate (36.67 μmol g^?1 h^?1) compared to the parent MOF.